NHRA: DeJoria to miss Brainerd, continue recovery

Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria and the Tequila Patrón Funny Car team will not compete at this weekend's Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd while she continues her recovery from a pelvic fracture.

DeJoria was injured after a hard impact with the wall during the first round of eliminations at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals on July 31. DeJoria took the green light in the left lane against John Force when her Camry lost traction and made a violent turn to the left as soon as DeJoria stepped on the throttle, causing her Camry to make impact with the left retaining wall.

DeJoria exited the vehicle under her own power. After an on-site evaluation by medical personnel, she was transported via ambulance to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, where X-rays and a CT scan revealed a high-energy fracture of the left pelvis. The injury did not require surgery, and her recovery consists of physical therapy and a laser therapy treatment intended to speed up healing and stimulate tissue repair and cell growth.

“With it being a fracture, the healing time is six to eight weeks, and as much as I wanted it, the harsh reality is there just wasn’t enough time between Sonoma and Brainerd for that area to be healed properly," DeJoria said. "Even though I feel better, and yes, I’m physically able to return to the seat, the fact of the matter is I have a cracked pelvis. Any slightly concussive movements could make that fracture develop into a full-blown crack, and if that were to happen, that would cost me and my team the whole season.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it was a decision that had to be made. My doctor, my crew chief, and I assessed the situation and determined that the risk right now for further injury is too great. When you weigh it out, missing one more race is better than missing the entire season, and the reality is if I were to go out there and shake or have any intense movements, that could very well be the final straw.”

DeJoria, who also missed the Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil in Seattle the following week. is currently 10th in the standings with 765 points. To compete in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, she must be locked into a top-10 spot by the conclusion of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, the event after Brainerd. DeJoria and her doctor hope that she can be healed enough to compete by the start of qualifying for the U.S. Nationals on Sept. 2.